


Flying and Falling

by Rosetylars



Series: Saschanos [6]
Category: Sports RPF, Tennis RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Couldn’t help myself, I have no idea where this came from, M/M, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship, Sascha is a clumsy wreck, plane AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-20 04:49:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19986385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosetylars/pseuds/Rosetylars
Summary: The person sitting in the centre seat arrived. Stef didn’t see him, as he was still looking out the window, daydreaming.He only realised someone else was there because that person managed to stumble into the centre seat, trip over the chair in front of him, and fall squarely into Stef’s lap - landing with a big hand in Stef’s crotch.***Or, an AU in which the boys are strangers and sit next to each other on a flight, and Sascha can’t stop embarrassing himself.





	Flying and Falling

**Author's Note:**

> This is fiction! The people and places are real, but the story is not.

Stef had his boarding pass in his hand, ready to get on the plane and fly to London. 

The seat number read 22F. He was delighted - he loved window seats. He liked to look out over the land or sea; he felt like it gave him perspective. 

When he boarded, the whole row was empty, making it easy for him to access his seat. He got the book he was currently reading out of his backpack and placed it in his seat pocket, and he also gathered his headphones. When he was settled into the seat with his seatbelt buckled, he pushed the backpack under the seat in front, put his headphones on, and calmly looked out the window. 

Several minutes later, the person sitting in the centre seat arrived. Stef didn’t see him, as he was still looking out the window, daydreaming. 

He only realised someone else was there because that person managed to stumble into the centre seat, trip over the chair in front of him, and fall squarely into Stef’s lap - landing with a big hand in Stef’s crotch. 

Stef recoiled in agony. “Shit!”

“Shit!” The other passenger said at the same time, in surprise. “I’m so sorry!” He righted himself immediately, turning in the small space with difficulty so he was facing the seat in front of him. 

Stef was wincing and trying not to cradle his crotch. “Jesus, watch where you’re going,” he grumbled. Stef was not normally an aggressive person, but half the bodyweight of a heavy guy to his crotch didn’t exactly make him feel like holding hands and singing Kumbaya. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” the other man groaned, hands over his face. “Can I get you some ice or something? Wait, here,” the stranger said, fussing around in his backpack and procuring an insulated water bottle. 

In a move that startled Stef, the stranger pushed the freezing bottle right onto Stef’s crotch. 

“Dude, what the hell?!” Stef asked in disbelief. He immediately handed the bottle back. 

“Was it helping? My brother ruptured a testicle once, he had to go to hospital, I’m really sorry, I hope you’re okay-“

“Relax,” Stef demanded grumpily. “I’m fine, thank you,” he added more calmly, when he realised how sharp he’d been with this guy. 

The stranger was still mortified by his accident, though. “Oh god, I’m so sorry, this is so embarrassing,” he whined. 

Stef didn’t respond, and resumed looking out the window in an attempt to calm himself down despite the raging pain between his legs. 

He could see the other guy in the reflection. He was pretty young - around Stef’s age, if he had to guess. He had blonde hair that was relatively long, but nowhere near the length of Stef’s own. Stef couldn’t make out his heritage from a reflection alone but he could easily see the other man’s sharp cheekbones. 

Attractive, Stef thought to himself. If only the other man hadn’t fallen on him and then shoved a water bottle in his lap!

While Stef was lost in his thoughts, the rest of the passengers had filed into the aircraft and they were preparing for take off. 

The blonde man tapped Stef on the shoulder. 

Stef removed his headphones, shoving them down around his neck. He looked at the man with raised eyebrows. 

“I’m so sorry about before,” the man pointed to Stef’s crotch. 

Before he knew what he was doing, Stef closed his hand over the man’s outstretched finger to hide it. “Please stop pointing at my lap, everyone’s looking!” 

“Oh god, I’m so sorry,” the man covered his face. 

Stef was getting fed up. “Please, stop apologising, it was an accident, let’s just move on and enjoy the flight,” he reasoned. 

“Sounds good, sorry,” the man said. Then he realised he’d apologised again, and looked even more mortified. 

Stef almost started to pity the guy - he was so embarrassed. Stef noticed the rosy blush on the stranger’s cheeks, and thought it was quite sweet. He tried to snap himself out of it. 

Stef decided he was already in too deep with this guy after their... uncomfortable beginning. He had no chance of a peaceful flight. So he struck up a conversation that wasn’t about the injury to his private parts.

“Do you live in London?”

“No,” the stranger said, visibly relieved to change the topic. “I’m from Germany, but I was in Monte Carlo to visit my brother and his family.”

Stef couldn’t help himself. “The brother that ruptured a testicle?” He smirked. 

The other man actually laughed at that. When he smiled, Stef noticed, he looked a lot younger. The sharp edge to his features softened. It made him more beautiful. Objectively. 

“Yeah, that’s the one. But it all still works okay cause he had a baby last year. Not him - his wife,” the stranger added quickly. “Oh, I’m Sascha, by the way,” he introduced. 

Stef was starting to think all this rambling was kind of endearing. He mentally told himself to get a grip. 

“I’m Stefanos,” he replied. “But I’m glad your brother’s... stuff all works fine,” Stef struggled for words. 

Sascha laughed. “Sorry, I’ll let you get back to your music,” he said, as if only just realising he’d disturbed Stef before. 

Stef smiled in thanks and placed the headphones back over his ears. The last twenty minutes had been a whirlwind. 

As he listened to his music, he noticed the unusual feeling in his chest. Was it excitement? Adrenaline? 

Around half an hour passed, with Stef making good progress into his book. The flight attendants came by their row of seats with the trolley, handing food to the passengers. The only option was a sausage roll, which Stef wasn’t keen on - it wasn’t exactly a nutritious option. He’d packed a bread roll in his bag just in case, anyway. 

Stef politely declined the meal, and the flight attendant turned her attention to Sascha. 

To Stef’s surprise, Sascha did the same.

He tried to keep his mind off the tall, attractive man next to him, and continued reading his book. 

Sascha reached down for his own backpack, pasting his long, lean thigh against Stef’s while he did so. He rustled around in his bag until he located an apple, and proceeded to eat it. 

Stef considered himself to be a tolerant person. His headphones were noise cancelling. But despite both of these factors, the loud bites Sascha took into the apple fried Stef’s nerves to the point he had to close his book and squeeze his hands into fists. 

Sascha took one extremely loud, squelching bite, and Stef snapped. 

“Can you hear yourself?!” Stef asked. 

Sascha looked at Stef as if he’d just told him a fire had broken out in the cabin. 

“What’s wrong?” Sascha asked. 

When he looked at Stef, Stef realised his eyes were the colour of the ocean on a cloudy day. And they were beautiful. 

He forgot the fiery rage that was burning in his body two seconds prior. “Nothing, sorry,” Stef said, immediately remorseful for having such a bad temper with this guy.

“Alright,” Sascha eyed him suspiciously. 

Stef felt terrible for snapping, but Sascha didn’t press the issue any further, so he tried to let it go and get back to his book. 

A few minutes later, Sascha went to use the bathroom, and the older lady in the aisle seat kindly stepped out of her seat so Sascha could get through. 

Without realising what he was doing, Stef watched him go. 

The lady smiled at him. “How long have you two been together?” 

Stef nearly choked. “Oh, uh, we’re not-“

As Stef struggled, she continued. “Sorry, that’s private, I shouldn’t pry! You look great together though. A really handsome couple! You should be so proud!”

A violent blush settled on Stef’s face. The woman was looking at him expectantly. He had no idea what to say. If he had time to think about, he would have told her it was a misunderstanding, that the two of them had only just met on this flight. But in his frenzied state, he accidentally said, “Thank you.”

Seemingly happy with Stef’s response, the lady turned her attention back to her magazine until Sascha came back, when she let him back in. 

Sascha began climbing into his seat, and before Stef’s mind caught up with his body, he’d already held out his arm to help Sascha balance so they didn’t repeat the crotch incident. 

Sascha flashed Stef the most stunning smile in appreciation. Stef felt like he’d been knocked over. 

Stef must’ve had a weird look on his face, because Sascha frowned. “What’s up?” Sascha asked. 

Stef debated whether to tell him or not, but his curiosity (and the tiny crush that was apparently forming in his heart) got the better of him. He leaned closer to Sascha so he could speak softly, preventing the lady from hearing. “That lady next to you thought we were a couple,” Stef told him. 

When they moved apart, Stef felt suddenly cold, and he didn’t like it. 

“That’s kind of cute,” Sascha grinned. Then he mumbled, “I bet your girlfriend would be jealous.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Stef frowned. 

Sascha shook his head. “Bullshit, look at you,” he huffed. 

Stef was confused. “I don’t get what you mean,” he replied. 

“Stefanos, you are absolutely gorgeous! If I were your boyfriend I’d thank my lucky stars every day,” Sascha gushed. It took him a moment to realise what he’d said, and he covered his mouth in shock. 

But the damage had already been done. 

“Jesus, Sascha,” Stef whispered, totally shocked. “You mean that?”

“Yes! No. I don’t know,” Sascha shook his head. “Forget I said anything. I’m such an idiot!” He dropped his head into his hands and leaned forward in his seat, as if to shelter himself. 

Stef knew he shouldn’t do this. Sascha was a relative stranger. Yet despite the alarm bells in his head, he placed a comforting hand on Sascha’s back. 

“If I were your boyfriend,” Stef whispered experimentally, “I’d pinch myself every day.”

Sascha sat up at this, ending his little sulk. At a volume just above a whisper, he muttered, “Go out with me? Tonight? When we get to London?”

“Yes, god yes,” Stef grinned. “But promise not to whack me in the crotch again?”

Sascha groaned but couldn’t shrink the massive smile on his face. 

If the boys were holding hands when the plane landed, well, the lady in the aisle seat would’ve been pretty pleased. Little did she know.

**Author's Note:**

> Another random Saschanos AU! I can’t stop writing them 😂 thank you so much for reading, please feel free to leave some feedback! 
> 
> If you have a prompt for another AU you’d like to read for this pairing, feel free to let me know in the comments!


End file.
